Anyone know about making fold up mobility scooters lighter ?

[greenstiles]

My wife's aunt want a fold up mobility scorter that is light, so either her's modified or ????

What you reckon, alloy frame, carbon body.....or get a motor and battary and start a design from sratch..........her issue is she needs one that 'she' can fold up and lift.........not a helper with full mobility lifting it......so got to be good and light, think hers is about 37lbs.

 

[1duck]

It's the motors and batteries that make up most of the weight unfortunately. I mean you can probably shed a few lb's but i don't think you'd be able to do a right lot.


I just had a google and a super light one...designed as a piece of luggage weighs 37lbs.

http://luggiescooters.com/spec.htm

It doesn't look like there would be anything left to cut away!

 

[highlandsflyer]

Am I misreading or is that not 50lbs EXCLUDING the batteries? Batteries weigh a packet!

I am looking into rebuilding one with a lighter chassis. They seem to be made very agriculturally for what they cost.

Best to make it split in two with today's tech, not only to manage the weight but also to make it more easy to pack. Adjustable axles make sense too, as wider track makes sense at speed yet narrow is needed for indoors.

My priorities are large wheels, four wheel drive, very articulate suspension, light weight seating and simple controls yet having the appropriate cut off sensors. I reckon 30lbs odds should be doable with a shortish range of less than eight miles, with the option of carrying a second battery as back up.

 

[1duck]

Am I misreading or is that not 50lbs EXCLUDING the batteries? Batteries weigh a packet!

I am looking into rebuilding one with a lighter chassis. They seem to be made very agriculturally for what they cost.

Best to make it split in two with today's tech, not only to manage the weight but also to make it more easy to pack. Adjustable axles make sense too, as wider track makes sense at speed yet narrow is needed for indoors.

My priorities are large wheels, four wheel drive, very articulate suspension, light weight seating and simple controls yet having the appropriate cut off sensors. I reckon 30lbs odds should be doable with a shortish range of less than eight miles, with the option of carrying a second battery as back up.

No you're not, i don't know where i got the 38lb figure perhaps i had tabs open and 38lb was the lightest i could find. Culpa mea est.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Easily done.

At the prices they come at in, some upwards of £5000, I would be expecting exotic materials.

The electronics are very basic too, production line motors and very basic control boards. Steel chassis, plastic bodies.

Does not add up when you consider you can get a cheap car for a few grand more.

 

[1duck]

Easily done.

At the prices they come at in, some upwards of £5000, I would be expecting esoteric materials.

The electronics are very basic too, production line motors and very basic control boards. Steel chassis, plastic bodies.

Does not add up when you consider you can get a cheap car for a few grand more.

Yeah the prices are eyewatering, to consider what you get out of it. I think it's still the batteries that are the main expense, there are always loads for sale as spares or repairs on ebay. Which i always assume are the batteries having given up the ghost.

I didn't realise they had steel bodies, but i suppose it makes sense...cutting corners to maximise profits.

 

[highlandsflyer]

They are generally fabbed in China, at base price, and then sold on to the UK market at huge mark ups.

This is something we ought to be producing locally, with our engineering skills.

 

[1duck]

http://www.travelscoot.com/

35lbs with battery, now that's more like it! but the thing doesnt look very safe, i'm sure its all been tested but just as impressions go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1niBrn9F7HY

 

[highlandsflyer]

Yes, good.

Now what we want is something like that but with bigggggg wheels and springy suspension so it can climb obstacles.

You can't ride that up the raised kerbs done badly we see all over the UK.